Lace thread-drawing and inspection system



March 20, 1962 P. w. NOBLE LACE THREAD-DRAWING AND INSPECTION SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1958 INVENTOR PE/PC) [WA/051.5 %A4% ATTO/P/VEK March 20, 1962 P. w. NOBLE 3,025,583

LACE THREAD-DRAWING AND INSPECTION SYSTEM Filed July 5, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEK Marcfi 20, 1962 P. w. NOBLE LACE THREAD-DRAWING AND INSPECTION SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 3, 1958 INVENTOR. /%/PCK W/Vo BLE.

ATTORNEY March 20, 1962 P. w. NOBLE LACE THREAD-DRAWING AND INSPECTION SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 3, 1958 [DE/PC) W/VOBLE. ,wu

ATTU/F/VEK Unite rates tent:

3,@Z,583 Patented Mar. 2%, 1%62 3,025,583 LACE THREAD-DRAWENG AND INSPEC'llON SYSTEM Percy Warren Noble, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to The American Fabrics Company, Inc., Bridgeport, (30:111., a corporation of lonneeticut Filed Qluly 3, 1958, Ser. No. 746,422 13 Claims. (Cl. 26-78) The present invention relates to a lace thread-drawing and inspection system and it particularly relates to a machine and method of separating and inspecting lace in substantially one operation. Lace, when separated, is usually held together by threads passing between the closely spaced strips which are to be removed so that the strands of lace may be separated.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a system for permitting inspection and separation of the lace substantially at the same time as the lace is removed from the reel or beam on which it has been wound after weaving and when it is passing to and being individually woven upon spools in individual bands.

It is among the objects of the present invention also to provide a novel mechanism and system by means of which the tie or draw thread may be readily removed from the width of lace while the strands are separated, inspected and then individually Wound upon separate reels which will permit of high speed production and involve a minimum of manual labor.

Another object is to provide a novel rapid measure of assuring inspection of lace both for dirt and soil as well as for defective thread or weave formation which will be accomplished simultaneously with the separation of the lace into individual reels for further processing and ultimate merchandising.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a combined lace thread-drawing and inspection machine in which the roll of lace on a 3" diameter core is positioned on the lower part of the back or rear of the machine with the various bands of lace provided with the draw or tie thread before separation.

The lace is then passed upwardly at the rear of the machine and then forwardly over the top of the machine where the tie thread is separated from between the strands by being passed over or engaged with a puller member which leaves the strands separated from each other with the puller threads being separately reeled at a position above the separated strands of lace.

At this point the strands of lace are caused to radiate or separate laterally while they pass downwardly over an inspection board, the upper portion of which has a white background to detect soil while the lower portion of it has a black background to detect defects in the thread or weave or other undesirable qualities in the lace structure.

Finally, at the forward part of the machine where the operator is standing, each strip of lace is individually reeled so that it may be further processed.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the controls which permits lateral adjustment of the main lace supply with suitable braking arrangement so that the feed will be properly accomplished without disproportionate movement of the separating lace strands during inspection and also controls the relative speed of the draw Wheel so that the thread will only be drawn from between the lace strands if they are ready for inspection.

The speed of inserting should also be subject to control by the operator so that the lace may be caused to pass more quickly or more slowly in accordance with the inspection requirements. The board for inspection purposes should be substantially inclined upwardly and rearwardly at a slight angle from the vertical with the soil or white background inspection surface constituting the upper one-third or four-tenths of the surface while the thread inspection black background constitutes the lower two-thirds or six-tenths and is much closer to the eyes of the worker or inspector.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FlGURE l is a front perspective view of a complete inspection machine showing the front of the machine as it faces the inspector with the inspection board and the lace strands passing thereover.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view showing the lace strands passing upwardly to a separating position at the top of the machine before they are passed down forwardiy on the front of the machine, as indicated in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 being taken from the line 2-2; of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical offset sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the left hand variable speed control of the machine.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top perspective view showing the removal of the tie or draw thread by means of the rotatable draw bar.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side sectional view showing a clutch arrangement which may be employed in connection with the speed control of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there is shown the machine frame A upon the rear of which is supported the supply roll B of lace as it comes from the weaving machine with the draw or tie thread in position therein.

The support structure C for the roll of lace is subject to lateral adjustment by means of the lateral wheel arrangement D.

The lace passes upwardly from the supply roll B over the transverse brass rollers E and then over the rubber-covered tension roller P which is provided with side braking arrangements G. After leaving the rubbercovered friction roll F the lace will be separated into individual strands as indicated at H while the tie or draw threads are separately drawn onto the square thread bar K.

The lace then radiates outwardly and passes downwardly over the inspection board L having an upper white surface M for soil inspection and a lower black surface N for weave or structure inspection, with the latter constituting the major portion of the lower part of the board.

Then the individual strands of lace are woven up on the individual spools P which are driven by the drive rollers Q and R which support the bottom of the edges of the flanges.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a variable tension control S which is associated with a variable speed rheostat T while the control U will regulate the lateral position of the lace supply in the reel.

The main motor V is positioned on the lower part of the frame A as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the floor supports the two front legs 11 and the two rear legs 12 which are tied together with the front and rear lateral structural members 13 and 14 and which in turn support the upper cross members 15 and 16.

The intermediate portions of the frame are braced by the side members 17 and 18. The diagonal reinforcing members 19 and 26 are provided at the front and rear of the machine respectively.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the lace supply B is supported on and may turn freely on a rod 22 which is held upon the standards 23. These standards 23 are in turn supported by the triangular cantilever members 24. The members 24 are supported at their ends adjacent. the vertical frame structure 25 as shown in FIG. 3 by angle members 26 and 27 which are carried on the roll ers 28 forming part of the transversing mechanism for laterally adjusting the supply roll B. These lower rollers will lie upon the cross rod 29. The upper cross bar 30 of the frame will also ride in the support or guide rollers 31 which are mounted upon the cross beam 32.

The end roll 34 may be operated through the universal joint 35 (see FIG. 3) and the adjustable connection rod 36 and the universal joint 37 from the wheel U at the front of the machine accessible to the operator and his moving the supply B laterally to correctly space the strands of lace which pass over the inspection board L.

The lace will pass upwardly as indicated at 38 in FIG- URE 3 over the brass guide roller which may be mounted upon the flange 39 which moves laterally with the lace supply B when adjusted by the hand wheel U.

The lace Will then pass forwardly as indicated at 40 over the forward brass guide roll E which is supported in the bracket 41 mounted upon the top transverse bars 42 (see FIG. 3).

The lace then passes rearwardly as indicated at 43 to pass over the rubber facing 44 on the tension roll F. This tension roll F is provided with an end pulley 45 forming part of a brake arrangement with a cable or rope 46 hanging downwardly and supporting the weight 47 and slowing its movement so that it will not run ahead.

Immediately beyond the roll F the tie threads are separated as indicated at I and the strands of lace radiate as indicated at H toward the inspection table L.

The separation is diagrammatically indicated in large scale in FIG. 5 and in small scale in FIG. 3.

At the forward upper part of the machine is positioned the rotating draw or puller member having four radial bars 48 which draw up and wind up the tie or draw threads I. These bars 48 are mounted upon a central shaft 49 and at the ends of the machine they are provided with triangular forwardly extending bearing support structures 50 (see also FIG. 1) which carry the bearing elements 51 through which passes the ends 52 of the shaft 49.

Referring to the diagram of operation as shown in FIG. 5 which shows the threads being pulled out and in intermediate position the strands of lace 75 are tied together by the threads 76 and after these tie threads are removed as indicated at 77 the strands 78 will separate and will be susceptible of radiation across the inspection board L which at its top side issupported by the rear transverse angular member 79.

The radial bar K will pull up the strands 77 and coil them as indicated at 80 where they can be recovered and used as waste material.

This radiation effect is indicated in small scale at X in FIG. 1 and in large scale at X in FIG. 4 and it will be noted that each strand of lace 78 is separated so as to render readier inspection thereof.

At the same time as indicated in FIG. 4, the speed control wheel S may be regulated in combination with the indicator T to control the speed with which the strands 73 pass downwardly over the inspection board.

The separated strands then pass downwardly with each strand being separately coiled upon one of the spools or reels at P.

These reels are all supported upon a rod and the flanges of each reel are rotated by means of the rollers Q and R which contact the lower periphery thereof. The drive extends from the motor V through the pulley arrangement '91 and a 50 to 1 gear reduction (not shown). The sprocket chain 92 then passes upwardly to drive the sprocket wheels 93 and 94 in opposite directions, said sprocket wheels driving the rollers Q and R respectively. The direction of rotation is indicated at 95 in FIG. 3.

The connecting sprocket chain 96 will maintain a constant peripheral speed for both rollers Q and R.

The main drive motor III, as shown in FIG. 3, may have a V pulley 97 which through the driving belt 98 drives a slip clutch 99 connected to the shaft 49.

Where there is no draw or tie thread involved two of the supply members B may be positioned at the top of the machine with an inclined inspection board upon the edge face of the machine. A typical slip clutch is shown at 99 in FIG. 6.

It will be noted that the pulley 100 receives the belt 98 and it has a conical recess disk 101 pressed outwardly by the springs 102. These springs press against a conical insert member 103 which is connected to the end 104 of the shaft of the rotatable member K. The shaft 49 of the rotatable member K will be driven by the slip clutch 99.

Referring to FIG. 3, the main control switch 105 is shown at the front of the machine with the connecting cable 106 and there is also shown the supply tray 107 which receives an extra supply of bearing rods 108 to replace the rod 90.

In respect to the tenion control the hand wheel S, as shown in FIG. 3, has a rearward extending control rod 109 which extends to the control box 110 associated with the motor mechanism 111 to vary the speed.

The rail 29, as shown in FIG. 3, is fixed and the edge of the goods indicated at B is varied by turning the control U, which operates through the linkage 36 and the universal connections 35 and 37, as shown in FIG. 3, to move the roll B laterally.

The shaft 22 rides on the cradle 23, whereas the entire cradle 23 is moved laterally by the grooved roller D (see FIG. 3). The cradle 23, riding on the bracket C, is moved by the control U.

The structure T is a rheostat which changes the speed of the member K.

The control S on the other hand, through the box 110 as shown in FIG. 3, will control the speed of the entire unit.

Since the thread extracting device K extracts a greater length of thread than the length of the goods, it must be turned faster than the other shafts and it is desirable to get an angle of pull as indicated at FIG. 5 so that the up-going threads 77 will form the same angle to the horizontal as the down-going strips 78 and so that the threads will be extracted before the strips are turned downwardly over the board, as indicated at the top of the structure L.

It is desirable to keep the angle of pull, as indicated at 77, as flat as possible.

By the arrangement shown it is possible to achieve rapid and effective inspection of the lace while it is being separated into strands and reeled with a minimum of labor and a maximum of efliciency.

The arrangement is simple to build and effective in usage and occupies but a small floor space area and the separation or radiation effect upon the strands as they pass down over the inspection board is most effective.

While there has been herein described a preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that the same may be altered in details and in relative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

spaasss Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed:

What is claimed is:

l. A lace inspection system comprising a lace web supply for supplying a lace web, a separated lace strip reeling arrangement for reeling separated lace strips supplied from said lace web and an intermediate inspection board over which the separated lace strips are passed between the supply and the reeling arrangement and means to regulate the feed of the lace strips over the board and the lateral position of the separated lace strips thereon by shifting the lateral position of the lace web supply.

2. A lace inspection system comprising a lace web supply for supplying a lace web, a separated lace strip reeling arrangement for reeling separated lace strips supplied from said lace web and an intermediate inspection board over which the separated lace strips are passed between the supply and the reeling arrangement, said lace web having a plurality of tie threads therein and a rotary means also positioned between the supply and the reeling arrangement to remove the tie threads and means to regulate the feed of the lace strips over the board and the lateral position of the separated lace strips thereon by shifting the lateral position of the lace web supply.

3. A lace inspection system comprising a lace web supply for supplying a lace web, a separated lace strip reeling arrangement for reeling separated lace strips supplied from said lace web and an intermediate inspection board over which the separated lace strips are passed between the supply and the reeling arrangement, said inspection board consisting of a substantially vertical rearwardly inclined member having an upper white face for soil inspection and a lower black face for structural inspection and means to regulate the feed of the lace strips over the board and the lateral position of the separated lace strips thereon by shifting the lateral position of the lace web supply.

4. A lace inspection system comprising a lace web supply for supplying a lace web, a separated lace strip reeling arrangement for reeling separated lace strips supplied from said lace web and an intermediate inspection board over which the separated lace strips are passed between the supply and the reeling arrangement, said separated lace strips being separated before passage over said inspection board and being caused to radiate downwardly across said inspection board and means to regu late the feed of the lace strips over the board and the lateral position of the separated lace strips thereon by shifting the lateral position of the lace web supply.

5. A lace inspection system comprising a lace web supply for supplying a lace web, a separated lace strip reeling arrangement for reeling separated lace strips sup plied from said lace web and an intermediate inspection board over which the separated lace strips are passed between the supply and the reeling arrangement, and means to regulate the feed of the separated lace strips over the board and the lateral position of the separated lace strips thereon by shifting the lateral position of the lace web supply.

6. A lace inspection system comprising a lace web supply for supplying a lace web, a separated lace strip reeling arrangement for reeling separated lace strips supplied from said lace web and an intermediate inspection board over which the separated lace strips are passed between the supply and the reeling arrangement, said system consisting of a vertical structure with the lace web being passed upwardly over the rear of the structure from the supply to a separation point and then downwardly at the front of the structure over the inspection board, said inspection board being positioned substantially vertically inclined at the front and a rotating blade arrangement positioned above and slightly forward of the top of the board, said lace web being provided with a plurality of removable tie threads therein to tie the separated lace strips together, said blade arrangement removing said threads adjacent the top of the board.

7. A lace strand separation and inspection system for a lace web composed of a plurality of lace strands p0- sitioned side by side with removable tie threads tying the strands together, said system having a substantially vertical board slightly inclined to the rear toward its upper end and having an upper white face and a lower black face over which the lace strands pass and diverge downwardly, a rotating device at the upper end of the board to engage and wrap up and draw out the tie threads at the top of the board and a plurality of flanged reels beneath the board to take up the separated strands as they pass oh? the board.

8. The system of claim 7, means to laterally adjust the position of the strands across the face of the board and a braking arrangement to control the speed of the flow of the strands.

9. The system of claim 7, means to control the speed of the rotating device to draw out the threads.

10. The system of claim 7, a roll supply of lace web at the rear of the board and means to shift said roll supply laterally in respect to the board.

11. A lace thread drawing and inspection arrangement for lace web composed of a plurality of lace strips held together by removable threads connecting the adjacent edges of adjacent strips together to form said web, said arrangement including a vertical inspection board, means to feed the lace web onto the top of the board, means to draw out the removable threads at the top of the board to permit separation of the web into separate strips passing down over the board and means to reel up the strips separately at the bottom of the board, and control means to regulate the feed of the lace strips over and down the face of the board and the position of the lace strips on the board.

12. The arrangement of claim 11, said control means including means to brake and slow up the feed of the lace web and lace strips and means to move the lace web and lace strips laterally upon the face of the board.

13. The arrangement of claim 11, said board being slightly inclined farther away from the observer at the top and toward the observer at the bottom with a white background at the top for observing the soil and a black background at the bottom to observe imperfections in the weave.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,446,495 Brenner Feb. 27, 1923 2,035,138 Maxfield Mar. 24, 1936 2,297,881 Fuller Oct. 6, 1942 2,837,808 Langiois et a1. June 10, 1958 

